MEDIAN · INFANT · CENTER-BASED
How much does childcare cost in Dorchester County, SC?
In Dorchester County, SC, the median price of infant care at a child care center is $199 a week ($862 a month, $10,344 a year)†.
$199
per week · Dorchester County, SC · 2022 (latest official data) · † statistically imputed by DOL
≈ $233 per week in 2025 dollars — estimate, adjusted for inflation by ChildcareCost; not an official figure · how we estimate this
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
MEDIAN PRICE · BY AGE & SETTING · PER WEEK
| Age | Center-based | Family childcare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant | $199† | $138† |
| Toddler | $185† | $138† |
| Preschool | $181† | $133† |
| School-age‡ | $138† | $89† |
Median prices · 2022 (latest official data) · U.S. Department of Labor.
‡ School-age prices reflect a school-year, part-day arrangement, not full-day year-round care.
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
AFFORDABILITY · INFANT · CENTER-BASED · VS 7%
Is childcare affordable in Dorchester County?
Infant care at a child care center costs about $10,344 a year† — that is 11.3% of the county’s median family income of $91,847 (2022).
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
ESTIMATE YOUR COST
What would childcare cost your family in Dorchester County?
Uses Dorchester County’s official 2022 median prices. Income is prefilled with the county median family income — change it to your own.
ESTIMATED COST IN DORCHESTER COUNTY
$10,344
per year · $862 per month (÷ 12)
- Share of income
- 11.3%
- Benchmark (7% of income)
- $6,429 /yr
That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
How Dorchester County compares
- Dorchester County$199 /wk†
- South Carolina median$199 /wk
- National median$244 /wk
Bars scaled to the highest figure shown. State and national figures are population-weighted medians of the county medians, across counties with data.
NEARBY COUNTIES · INFANT · CENTER-BASED · WEEKLY
Childcare prices near Dorchester County
| County | Infant, center |
|---|---|
| Berkeley CountySC | $199 /wk |
| Charleston CountySC | $202 /wk |
| Colleton CountySC | $117 /wk |
| Orangeburg CountySC | $111 /wk |
PRICE TREND · MEDIAN WEEKLY
How childcare prices in Dorchester County changed
| Year | Median weekly price |
|---|---|
| 2014 | $131 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2015 | $138 |
| 2016 | $144 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2017 | $150 |
| 2018 | $160 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2019 | $170 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2020 | $179 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2021 | $189 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
| 2022 | $199 (statistically imputed by DOL) |
† Value statistically imputed by DOL — see methodology
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
- How much does infant childcare cost in Dorchester County?
- The median price is $199 per week ($862 per month, $10,344 per year) at a child care center in Dorchester County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- Is childcare affordable in Dorchester County?
- Infant care at a child care center costs about $10,344 a year, or 11.3% of the county's median family income. That is above the 7%-of-income childcare benchmark.
- How much does family child care cost for an infant in Dorchester County?
- The median price is $138 per week ($596 per month, $7,152 per year) at a family child care home in Dorchester County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does toddler daycare cost in Dorchester County?
- The median price is $185 per week ($802 per month, $9,622 per year) at a child care center in Dorchester County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.
- How much does preschool cost in Dorchester County?
- The median price is $181 per week ($785 per month, $9,418 per year) at a child care center in Dorchester County, based on 2022 (latest official data). This figure was statistically imputed by DOL.